On holdbacks, Gov. Butch Otter said, "As you know, the tiered holdback that I ordered in September gets us only part of the way to addressing the projected shortfall in our Fiscal Year 2010 revenue. I am asking you today to approve that holdback and…
"My budget eliminates more than 400 positions throughout state government - including about 375 that are now vacant, and consolidates some agency operations," Gov. Butch Otter told lawmakers. Twenty-five existing jobs at the state Department of Parks & Recreation would be eliminated as the department…
The governor told lawmakers, "The budget recommendations I bring you today are based on the fact that it is not state government's money. It is the people's money. As a result, these recommendations are responsibly conservative. ... They provide for a balanced budget, as our…
The governor said he'll "soon be submitting reports" from his business and innovation summits calling for eliminating the personal property tax; enacting tax credits for infrastructure construction investments; and creating a homebuyer tax credit like Utah's. The reports will be submitted to the germane committees…
Gov. Butch Otter listed five priorities, with the first being not to raise taxes. No. 2: Maintain some cash reserves. No. 3: Protect education. "As our recovery advances, one of our first priorities for new dollars should be our public schools and higher education," he…
"Number one, we must not raise taxes," Gov. Butch Otter told lawmakers. "It is not our place to impose an additional economic burden on the people of Idaho who already are struggling, or to put a damper on our economic recovery." His comments drew a…
"We're all in this together," Otter told the assembled lawmakers, officials and onlookers. "We have the talent, the intelligence, the will and most of all the people to get through this - smarter, tougher, and better than ever, and we will." He added, "It will…
Gov. Butch Otter warmly greeted lawmakers as he arrived in the chamber. Then he began by apologizing - because he said this will be his longest State of the State message. He joked that it might be longer than the session. The governor then introduced…
Senators are filing in to the House chamber for the State of the State. There are greetings and camaraderie, but there's also a solemn undertone - the governor is expected to announce sharp cuts in the state budget. Already, last week, he said he'll impose…
The House has convened, and has made a formal presentation to an honor guard of the flag that will fly above the chamber, signifying that the Legislature is in session. In less than an hour, the full Senate, the justices of the Supreme Court and…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on the state's response to fired ITD Director Pam Lowe's wrongful-termination lawsuit. The state filed its response over the weekend; it was filed by Newal Squyres of the Boise law firm Holland & Hart, who is…
The state of Idaho contends that the four grounds for dismissal of the state's transportation director listed in state law are mere "examples," and the state can fire its transportation director for any reason or no reason at all. "Although the statute provides examples of…
Here's a link to my Sunday story on the upcoming legislative session and its challenges. The Legislature convenes at noon (MT) on Monday, and the governor's State of the State and budget address to a joint session is scheduled for 1 p.m. Mountain time, noon…
Thousands of Idahoans are streaming through their state capitol today, after a noon rededication ceremony that concluded when Gov. Butch Otter said, "I now declare the Capitol building officially open to conduct the people's business."Crowds poured up the steps and through the second-floor doors, and…
Idaho's state Capitol has been renovated and shined up, but it still looks pretty much like it always has - except better. It's cleaner and brighter, with more of the natural light it originally was designed to let in. It's bigger, too, with the addition…
There's been lots of news this morning, from Gov. Butch Otter's announcement about coming holdbacks on schools to university presidents' dire warnings about the impact of cuts on Idaho's higher education. Meanwhile, the joint Economic Outlook & Revenue Assessment Committee continues to meet, taking testimony…
Officials from the UI and BSU say it's time for Idaho to look into a stabilization fund for higher education, to protect colleges and universities from big budget hits from year to year. "We need to get away from this thing of higher ed essentially…
University of Idaho President Duane Nellis opened his talk to the AP legislative preview this morning by congratulating BSU President Bob Kustra, who sat next to him, on BSU's Fiesta Bowl win. "I think it's just great for the state of Idaho," he declared, noting…
In comments earlier this morning at the AP legislative preview, House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, appeared to back off from a proposal he's put forth to phase in big tax cuts, starting this year, by reducing Idaho's individual and corporate income tax rates. With…
The Legislature's minority caucuses aren't calling for a tax increase, Senate Minority Leader Kate Kelly said. "There are many, many things we can do to improve our revenue picture without raising taxes," she said. "We have a tax system that has been very, very poorly…
Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes noted that at this morning's AP Legislative Preview, the new, spacious hearing room in the Capitol's new underground wings was full to overflowing. "We chose the wrong hearing room," he said, adding that now there are rooms big enough to…
Schools would be hit by any additional holdbacks imposed this year, Gov. Butch Otter said just now in response to questioning from reporters at his news conference this morning. Asked if he supports a proposal GOP legislative leaders put forth in a Dec. 7 letter…
Gov. Butch Otter said, "On Monday we will be announcing for 2011 a no-growth budget." He noted that even though he's not imposed additional holdbacks on the current year's budget since his September announcement of a 4 percent cut, state agencies have been put on…
Asked what percentage of holdback, or mid-year budget cut, he's planning to propose for the state's budget, Gov. Butch Otter said, "The percentage is Monday." That's the day he'll make his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature and unveil…
Gov. Butch Otter just announced that he's not imposing additional holdbacks now - but he will include a holdback in the executive budget he proposes to the Legislature on Monday. "It's a necessary joint effort by myself and the Legislature," Otter said. "We've worked on…
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